Common Turtle Illnesses

This page will present some of the most
common illnesses and bacterial infections for aquatic turtles. It is
not all inclusive, and I will not provide cure instructions. You
will need a qualified reptile vetrinarian for any of these
illnesses. Proper nutrition, housing, heat, and sanitation can
prevent many (if not all) of these illnesses. That being said...even
the most loved and well-cared for turtles can become ill.

is easy to recognize, and unfortunately its all to common in captive
reptiles. What causes MBD is very easily stated…poor husbandry. MBD
is totally preventable with the proper care of the reptile you’ve
made a commitment to keep. What creates MBD is the disruption of
calcium metabolism, or the wrong calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in the
turtles diet. Vitamin D (especially D3) is vital to a turtles health
and also to calcium metabolism. Turtles require exposure to UV light
to be able to make their own vitamin D3, specifically UVB. This is
easily provided to your turtle with UVB bulbs with a 5.0 output.
Basically when there isn’t enough calcium in the body, the body
will take it from anywhere it can, i.e. the turtle’s bones. The
result is the bones soften which makes them more likely to break,
and if it occurs when the turtle is young obvious deformities will
occur.

Early signs of MBD include: the shell growing curved upward, the
shell will appear thickened, in sever cases there may be signs of
resorption (you will no longer see a tail because the body is trying to
get the calcium from the bones), the turtles legs will often be thin and
deformed, the beak will become duck or parrot shaped, scutes will look
raised, and pyramiding will occur. Pyramiding can be described as, the
turtles shell looks like a pyramid if you look at it from the front.
Pyramiding can also happen from diets too high in protein.

To avoid MBD in your turtle you must provide it with a nutritional
diet, calcium, vitamin D, UVB lighting, exercise. Adding
Cuttlebone to your turtles diet is an excellent way to make sure
there is added calcium.

is a common and very deadly illness that, unfortunately, affects many
captive turtles. It is also highly contagious to other turtles, and can
spread quickly. A visit to the vet, an x-ray (to verify), and
injectable antibiotics are the only way to cure RI. The cause of RI is
generally due to improper basking and water temperatures. Exposing the
turtle to any drafts and breezes will also increase the chances of
contracting RI. There are varying degrees of RI, and the symptoms may
also differ.

Listing is probably the most obvious symptom that signals RI. This
means that when the turtle is in the water it isn’t floating level, it
will be floating lopsided. The turtle may also swim in circles and be
unable to submerge. This is due to infection (fluid) in the lungs of the
turtle. An immediate veterinary care is needed if your turtle has this
symptom.

Other symptoms that can signal RI include: breathing with its mouth
open, swollen/puffy eyes, bubbles from the nose (when out of the water),
wheezing, frequent coughing and/or sneezing, frequent yawning, loss of
appetite, basking an excessive amount of time, sleeping a lot, and mucus
coming from the nose.

What should you do if your turtle exhibits any of these symptoms?call a reptile vertrinarian to make an appointmentquarantine the turtle from any other turtlesraise the temperatures of both the water and basking area, at
least 10° Fmake sure there are no drafts or cold air around the tankYou may also need to dry dock the turtle for a couple hours each
day, depending on the severity of the infection

Dry docking means that you will need to provide a safe, secure, and warm
dry environment for the turtle for a couple hours each day. They cannot
be out of water all day, and cannot be fed when dry docked. Aquatic
turtles cannot produce spit so they need water.

First, a little anatomy lesson. Turtles protect comes from their
shell. The shell is actually bone plates fused together to make a solid
looking shell. Covering the bone are what’s called scutes. Scutes are
made of keratin, the same substance that makes up our fingernails and
hair. The coloration of your turtle comes from pigment melanin which is
in the scutes, not the bones. Damage to scutes can result in exposed
bone on the turtles shell.

Shell rot is a fungal and bacterial infection on the turtles shell.
The organisms colonize small abrasions (or damage) in the scutes.
Water condition and quality can create or aggravate this type of
infection. In severe, untreated, cases they can erode the bone. If they
erode the bone enough they can penetrate the turtles body cavity. If
this happens other systemic infections can occur and death is likely.

Signs of shell rot include: white, slimy, smelly patches on the
turtles shell. There may also be signs of pus. If your turtle shows any
of these signs get it to a reptile veterinarian for care immediately.
Unless you have a lot of experience I do not recommend you attempt any
home treatments; shell rot can become fatal rather quickly.

Parasites are probably the most common problem found in reptiles. The level of
parasites carried in captive turtles can be deadly. Since captive
turtles are confined to small areas, parasite overload can and does
occur. For aquatic turtles parasites are generally in the form of worms
and protozoa. Some of the common parasites in turtles include: pinworms,
roundworms, and hookworms (same as your dog or cat).

Some symptoms of a parasite infestation could include: lack of
appetite, lethargy, diarrhea, weight loss, undigested food in its waste,
and in some cases the turtle might spit up its food.

If you suspect your turtle has parasites you will need to call a
reputable reptile veterinarian. They will request that you bring a stool
sample with you. I'm sure you're think...how in the world will I do
that? Well, I'll tell you what I do. I have a turkey baster (with turtle
written on it in permanent marker), suck up the waste and put it in a
baggie. The joys of having pets. I would not recommend you keep the
turkey baster anywhere near the kitchen! Anyway, your vet will more than
likely give you some deworming medicine for your turtle. Note of
caution...DO NOT allow your vet to prescribe "Ivermectin", it can be
fatal to turtles.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to practice good hygiene
when keeping turtles. Please WASH YOUR HANDS!

Ear abscesses can be a common problem with turtles.
What you will see is swelling on the side of the turtles head. Their
ears are protected behind a tympanic membrane and on occasion they
get infection and puss build up behind it. Since you aren't going to
know there's a problem until the infection is advanced, this problem
will require a vet visit. Normally the care will be surgically
draining puss from the abscess and antibiotics to be injected. The
common cause of this type of infection is due to poor water quality,
contaminated water and/or general poor care of the turtle.

Eye infections often begin as a small white spot on the surface of
the cornea. An ulcer can be created as the infection progresses, this
can cover the entire eye. The cause of bacterial eye infections is
generally due to poor husbandry. I can’t stress enough how important it
is to keep the turtles habitat clean, and to provide quality foods along
with adequate temperatures and UVB. Causes of eye infections can be from
RI, foreign material trapped under the eyelid (sand, gravel), physical
trauma, or a variety of other problems.

If the turtles eyelids swell due to a bacterial infection, basically
the turtle is now blind. This makes it difficult for the animal to find
its food which can lead to malnourishment, and in severe cases
starvation and death. The bacteria can easily move from the eyes into
the nasal passages. If veterinary care isn’t gotten and the infection
remains untreated…what started out as what seemed like a simple eye
infection can quickly progress to a deadly respiratory infection (RI).

The treatment of eye infections usually consists of injectable
antibiotics for aquatic turtles, since topical antibiotics or ointments
will wash out.

Typical symptoms of eye infections include:The eye will appear puffyThey eye may be wateryThe conjunctiva and surrounding tissues will be redThe turtle may frequently rub or scratch at its eye

To prevent eye infections, always keep the water in the turtles tank
clean. This means installing a filter large enough to filter the large
volume of waste produced by turtles. Do regular water changes 20-25%
(50% maximum), and do regular water testing to ensure that pH, ammonia,
nitrite, and nitrate levels are within range.

If both eyes are swollen shut, for any reason, the turtle is
blind. This makes it difficult for the animal to find its food,
which can lead to malnourishment, in severe cases starvation and
death.

If one eye is puffed up, but the other isn’t…that normally points to
some sort of physical damage. Secondary infections can set in to the eye
because of the physical damage. Most times the eye will bulge. Call your
vet to get an antibiotic. If the eye remains untreated, the infection
can spread, often causing blindness and sometimes it can kill the
turtle.

Eye swelling can also be caused by infections of the Eustachian tubes.
Eustachian tubes are the tubes connecting the ears and throat. Call your
vet.

Eye swelling can also be caused by irritations due to chlorinated water
. Cholorine can cause the turtle to wipe or scratch at its eyes. If you
have Chlorinated water you should use a dechloriantor sold for fish
tanks. If chloramine is present you would want to make sure you remove
that as well.

Vitamin A deficiency is one cause of swollen eyes. This deficiency is
caused by poor diet. If the vet diagnoses a vitamin A deficiency then a
vitamin A shot is normally given immediately, along with instructions on
how to improve the turtles diet. This is not something to ignore because
other problems caused by vitamin A deficiency include: kidney damage,
and death. If the problem progresses to the feet swelling, the turtle is
basically terminal and there isn’t much hope. This condition can be
totally avoided by providing your turtle with a quality diet.

One of the biggest problems for many new turtle hobbyists is that
they assume the dried pellet foods offered by pet stores are an adequate
diet; No they are not! BEFORE you acquire any species of turtle, make
sure you know what their dietary requirements are. Most species of
turtle are at least partially herbivorous, and need lots of fresh green
foods to do well.

The Red Eared Slider is omnivorous but feed largely on plants throughout
its life. Juvenile turtles will need a diet containing about 50% plant
material…adults are closer to 75% plant material. See the
greens page for suitable plant foods. If your
turtle is eating a complete, healthy diet rich in plant foods there
should be no need for vitamin supplements (unless prescribed by a
qualified reptile vet, or the turtle is ill).

If your turtle is healthy then skin shedding is nothing to
worry about; it’s perfectly normal. If the skin coming off
appears thick or dark, or if the skin underneath looks red…there
might be a fungal infection or some other issue; in which case
call your reptile vet.

Nearly all reptiles shed their skin. Some shed all at once,
some shed in pieces-parts. Aquatic turtles tend to shed in
pieces-parts, continually. Turtles will shed skin from their
body parts, i.e. their head, tail, and legs.

A turtles shell is made up of bone plates that are fused
together to make the shell. Covering the bone are overlapping
sheets of keratin, which is the same substance that makes up our
fingernails and hair. The sheets of keratin are called scutes. A
turtle cannot trade in its shell for another one, they aren’t
snails or hermit crabs. As the bones of the turtle grows, the
scutes do not (for most species of turtles). As the turtle
grows, new (larger) scutes are growing with it. The top
(smaller) layer of scutes will loosen and peel off. Scute
shedding is a totally natural process. Basking helps a turtle
shed its loose scutes. When a turtle basks, it is basically
sun-bathing. They are able to warm up and dry out. The drying
out of the loose scutes is what helps them pop off.

In rare instances, scutes are shed too often. This can leave
the bones of the shell exposed and unprotected, sometimes soft.
Excessive scute shedding has been found to be linked to larger
problems, such as renal failure.

What you may see is the edges (margins) of the scutes will
become cloudy looking. This is normal. As the scute starts to
loosen more the rest of the scute may look cloudy. It should not
be slimy, smelling, or soft...these symptoms would indicate
Shell Rot.
You might also see what looks like metallic spots on the scutes.
This is generally air trapped under a loose scute.

Do not pick at the loose scutes. It may be tempting, but
don't do it. You can cause damage to the underlying new scutes
if the old one isn't ready to fall off.

happens when the outer layer of the scute is not shed for one
reason or another. This can be a problem. Retained scutes can
trap bacteria and fungi which makes them prone to infection.
Retained scutes are more often than not a direct result of poor
husbandry. A turtle must be provided a dry basking area at the
appropriate temperatures. There must also be sufficient UVB
provided, along with good nutrition.

If your turtle is retaining
scutes you can try a couple of things.Make sure the basking area is dryMake sure the basking temps are appropriateLower the water temps just a little to encourage the
turtle to bask a little longer. Replace your UVB bulb if its over 6-9 months oldTry feeding your turtle Koi spring/fall pellet food
(with wheat germ) for a
couple of weeks. Do not feed this type of food all the
time. If your turtle still has retained scutes over a long
period of time, call your reptile vet.

This is not listed as an illness because it really isn't an
illness. But please keep in mind it can lead to illnesses so
should not be overlooked or ignored.